Port of Antwerp-Bruges receives fully electric tugboat from Damen

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges has announced the arrival of a fully electric tugboat in Antwerp.

PHOTO: Fully electric tugboat Volta 1. Damen

Although the immediate impact that this small-scale electric vessel will have on global greenhouse gas emissions might be limited, the vessel holds significance as it provides crucial technical and operational insights that can inform the development of larger-scale electric vessels in the future.

The fully electric tugboat Volta 1 is equipped with batteries that can be fully recharged in just two hours using a 1.5 MW (megawatt) charging station.

Built by Dutch shipbuilder Damen Shipyards at its Song Cam facility in Vietnam, the Volta 1 is Europe’s first fully electric tugboat, the Port of Antwerp-Bruges claims.

In the coming months, the vessel will undergo testing alongside new charging infrastructure at the Nautical Operational Cluster (NOC) in Antwerp. Additionally, the port authority has announced the arrival of five diesel-powered tugboats.

By Tuhin Roy

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